The Guardian of Fire
by cherryblossom hime
Summary: Hinata is sold off to some man as his future bride. With no way out of the situation and being torn down all her life by her father, she finds that there is more to this man than meets the eye. Maybe, they are what they needed for each other in order to bring out the strength that lies in them both. NaruHina. AU.
1. Walking Down an Unchosen Path

Wow... I seriously suck. I am so on and off about writing. For the most part, I have always written Momo and Toushiro fan fics for Bleach, but I thought I would give writing one for Naruto and Hinata a shot.

It's funny to look back and read the stories I wrote a couple years ago... the only thing you realize is that your grammar sucks haha.

Anyway...

So a quick summary of the story...

It is about Hinata being put into an arranged marriage to Naruto. She at first dislikes the idea entirely, but soon finds out that there is more to Naruto than meets the eye.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own any of the characters from Naruto.

**Chapter One: Walking Down an UN-chosen Path**

Hyuuga Hinata sat on her bed furious as she clenched the covers. Her knuckles were white from how hard she squeezed. She was not one to really ever show such anger and disdain, but remembering what she had just heard made her despise her parents.

All her life, her parents told her she was useless, that she would never amount to anything, that she was weak, and worthy of no honor. For a long time, she pitied herself, she let them control her feeling, but as time went on, she decided that she was going to be worth something. She was going to prove herself.

But what did that matter? It felt as if she were back at square one. She was once again broken. To think that all she was worth to her parents was nothing but money. For them to just ship her off to marry some guy she didn't even know.

Hinata immediately began thinking of different options, anything, everything... but knowing that there really were none, she was defeated. She recalled what her father said to her over and over in her head.

_"Hinata, look you're best tomorrow. I have come to terms with a young man who is willing to pay to marry you. You better make this work since you are otherwise useless to me."_

It's as if the years of detriment were again fresh on her emotions.

The light began to fade away from the sky and the darkness began to settle in. Hinata laid silently on her bed, thinking about the day that was to come. She even began to wonder about this guy. How old was he? Old enough that he was desperate to pay for a wife? If he hadn't found one by now, maybe he was a sore sight. What if he was twenty or thirty years older than her?

The worrisome thought tormented her mind throughout the remainder of the night. She was barely able to get any sleep before one of the maids came into her room to wake her.

"Miss Hinata, it is time to rise. Your father has called for you and we must get you ready for today. He said you must look your best. Please miss." The maid begged. Opening her sleepy eyes, Hinata sighed in defeat. She almost wished that she would have never awakened from her slumber for eternity.

Like a programmed drone she sat up and let the maid drag her to the bathing room and usher her along with her daily bathing routine. She bathed, had her hair done, her makeup done, and lastly, clothes put on her. Her father demanded that she wear her nicest dress, a beautiful shade of purple, silver, and white. Her hair was done up in intricate braids, and part of her hair cascaded down her shoulders and back. Very simple, yet elegant makeup was applied consisting of natural eyeshadows, eyeliner, and mascara.

At last she was as presentable as the maids could make her. After being dressed up, she was brought to her father who awaited her in the living room.

"Sit daughter. You must not screw up is this understood? He expects out of you what even the less educated women in this world can do and I hope that you are at least competent enough to accomplish that. Do not be a burden."

Wow. If this was praise, that was the most praise on her abilities that Hinata had ever received from her father. Hinata did nothing more than reply with a nod.

"Good. Our escort awaits outside. Come." said Hiashi to his daughter. Hinata stood up and followed her father towards the exit of their mansion of a house. Old fashioned, but big with a huge garden encased in the middle of it all.

A man dressed in a kimono that is colored black with red flames awaited them. He bowed to Hiashi.

"Good morning Hyuuga-sama. This way. I shall escort you to Uzumaki-sama's palace." Said the guide.

"Very well then. Come Hinata." Replied Hiashi, and they were off. Hinata was careful to not stray too far behind, though the thoughts of escape were enticing. Hinata began to panic a little when she saw that they we headed straight to the exit of the city, however she knew better than to let her tongue go. Quietly she followed, wondering what on earth could happen next.

"I shall now escort Hinata-sama out of town. I bid you farewell Hyuuga-sama, as per my master's instructions." The servant addressed. There was a horse and carriage with the same symbols on it as was on the servant's kimono.

"Good. I shall take my leave. Goodbye daughter. I expect you to serve your husband." That was all Hiashi said to his daughter before turning and leaving without any further words to his daughter.

Hinata let herself be pulled into the carriage looking at her father. She wanted to cry at that very moment, but knew it would do nothing to change her situation.

* * *

A couple hours passed, and Hinata found herself being awoken by the servant who had led her into this carriage.

"Hinata-sama, wake up. You are to meet master Uzumaki-sama soon. Please be presentable." The servant said, a slight odd look on his face. Maybe he thought the fact that Hinata had fallen asleep was odd. She quickly tried to tidy herself up before the carriage came to a halt.

The door was opened by another servant.

"Welcome to Uzumaki mansion. This was please." The servant said, ushering for her and the other servant to exit the carriage.

"After you Hinata-sama." The servant in the carriage said. Hinata clumsily climbed out of the carriage, almost tripping flat on her face but luckily recovering in time.

"Under Uzumaki-sama's order's, I am to escort you to your new bedroom until he can personally meet with you. He is currently occupied in business." The new servant said. Hinata didn't give a response. What response was there to give? It was great to know that her future husband to be was already too busy to even see what his money had bought. Perhaps he will feel cheated of his money.

Hinata quietly followed the servant. To her astonishment, the mansion was beautifully furnished, and maybe even a little more modest than she expected it to be. For someone who had money to blow, he was beautifully plain when decorating. Well, maybe he didn't care about the decorations. He was a man after all.

It wasn't long before the servant stopped in front of beautifully carved wooden doors that again had the flames like on the servant;s kimono's, but this time a fox like animal with nine tails.

"This is your designated room for the time being. It is one of the many guest rooms that Uzumaki-sama has. If it is not to your liking, please feel free to say otherwise." The servant informed. He then opened the door to a beautiful spacious room, mostly white colored with a huge king sized bed that had a beautiful blue dragon embroidery done on it. It had dressers, a jewelry armoire, and a vanity all beautifully carved like the door, except painted white.

"I shall call on you when Uzumaki-sama is ready to meet with you." Said the servant, and with that, he bowed, leaving Hinata in the room by herself, shutting the door behind him.

Hinata just studied the surrounding around her. Eventually, she found herself making her way towards the bed, sitting on it. It was so soft and fluffy. Much softer than her bed at home. It wasn't long before she found herself lying on it and drifting off into sleep yet again. After all, she was exhausted after what had occurred in the last twenty four hours. With almost no shut eye and the emotional stress she had gone through, she was ready for a nap.

* * *

No matter how much Hinata tried to get some sleep, it never seemed to work out that well for her. It seemed as if only seconds had passed by before another servant, this time a woman, was in her room rousing her from her slumber.

"Hinata-sama, I have been asked to get you ready for dinner. You are to dine with Uzumaki-sama tonight. He unfortunately has been busy with business all day and has been unable to meet with you until now." The servant said softly. Hinata frowned. This man was interesting. She had to wonder if he pretended to be sorry about him being busy, or if it was all just an act. It was strange to her that a man would send his apologies with his servant for him being busy.

Hinata got out of her bed and went to the vanity. Hopefully her makeup was still presentable. It was a good thing that it was done simply as there were barely any marks that she had to clean up. Her hair however, was another matter. She began to undo the braids and let the hair fall with everything else that was already down. What was the point? Her hair was already messy anyway. Now it was just down, wavy on the top layer, and simple. She didn't really care.

The servant just waited for her at the door.

"I am ready." Hinata finally choked out. That's the most that she's had to say to anyone since she left. The servant just nodded and waited for her to exit the room so she could shut the door behind them.

"This way Hinata-sama. Dinner is waiting."

* * *

It was too short of a walk for Hinata's taste to the dining room. Before she knew it, the doors to the dining room were opened and her nostrils were filled with the scent of dinner. Judging by how it smelled, this man ate well.

However, nothing could have prepared her for the man who sat at the large table in front of her. Hinata's expression was that of one who was surprised.

The man who sat in front of her had deep blue eyes, he had no expression on his face really, other than it being calm, maybe even a little bit curious. He had blonde spiked hair, and a very masculine build.

To say the least, he was definitely not want Hinata expected. By the looks of it, there was no way that he was much older than herself. She didn't know what the think.

"Thank you kiku, I think I can escort Hyuuga-sama to her seat." The blonde hair man said as he stood up from his seat and walked over to where he decided Hinata would sit. The servant woman bowed and left, shutting the dining room doors after her. Hinata just stared at the man, not able to move. He gave her a bewildered look.

"Um... It's not like I'm going to bite or anything. Are you going to come eat?" He asked casually, with a raised brow. Hinata didn't know what to think. What was this? Why was he talking to her so casually? She was so confused!

"U-um... Hai." Hinata replied quietly. She slowly began to walk towards the man so she could be seated.

"So dinner is steak, vegetables, and rice. If it is not to your liking I can have something else prepared." The man said. Hinata shook her head.

"Um... This is okay." She replied shyly. The man just grunted.

"Okay then, let's eat." He said, and it wasn't long before he was busy devouring his food. Hinata began to eat at her vegetables slowly. She wasn't sure that she really had an appetite anyway.

"So, you're name. What is your name?" The man asked suddenly. Hinata finished her bite before replying.

"I-it's Hyuuga Hinata." She said, not daring to look the man in the face.

"I see... Well, I am Uzumaki Naruto. That would make me your future husband and you my future wife I guess." He said calmly. Hinata could feel his eyes fixed on her, as if watching her every move. Finally, Hinata replied.

"I guess so." She said quietly, going back to eating her dinner.

* * *

So, there's the first chapter guys, I hope that it built enough suspense for you. I forgot how much it takes to write.

Anway, the next chapter should be out pretty soon. I'm pretty enthusiastic about this story. I really like the storyline that I came up with for it.

Thanks!

Cherryblossom hime


	2. Forbidden Attractions

Hey! The reviews I got for chapter one were awesome! Thanks guys!

Im already ready to post the second chapter. I realize that the first one might have been kind of slow going, so hopefully the action picks up a little more in the chapter!

To those who are curious about my unfinished fan fics for HitsuHina that I have deleted, it's really hard to try and pick up a story where I left them off a few years ago. Reasons being that my English and grammar have improved.

On the story Eternal Bondage, yes I did delete it. I got writers block, and I think that I am going to tweak the storyline a little bit. I am also considering rewriting the story Prince of Ice, but not changing the storyline other than maybe adding more scenes and detail to it.

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any of the characters from Naruto

**Chapter Two: Forbidden Attraction  
**

For the most part, dinner was eaten in silence. Few words had been exchanged between the two, and Hinata couldn't help but to feel so awkward. How was she supposed to feel in this situation? Here she was in some strange place, with a stranger in whom her father had sold her off to. She had no idea who this man was, what he was capable of, or what his intentions were.

She sat silently, staring off at nothng while she waited for Naruto to finish his dinner. Naruto, looking over at her plate and seeing that she had barely touched her dinner was curious.

"Is the food not to your liking? You have barely eaten your food." He asked. Hinata was a little surprised by the random question, and still refusing to look him in the face replied:

"N-no, I just do not have any apetite this evening." She replied.

"I see, very well. If what you say is how you truly feel, then I will not push the matter more." And with that, Naruto finished the last of his food. Servants came out immediately from a swinging door that Hinata suspected led to the kitchen to retrieve what was left of dinner and the plates. Naruto waited as he let the servants clean up, and Hinata repeated his actions.

After the servants had cleaned up and left the room once more, Naruto stood up.

"Come. I will escort you back to your room." He said with a little bit of demand in his voice. He stood from his chair, and waited for Hinata to stand. She looked at him for a second, bewildered, but stood. Naruto merely gave her a raised brow. She shyly turned her gaze elsewhere.

As Naruto began to walk, she followed suit, exiting the the dining room. She stayed relatively close as he led her through the mansion. It wasn't long before they arrived before the same doors that Hinata recognized from earlier. A servant awaited them, and opened the door.

"Good evening, Uzumaki-sama, Hinata-sama." He greeted.

"Good evening." Naruto replied. With that, he entered through the doors into Hinata's room. She began to panic when the servant shut the doors behind them once they were both through the doors. When Naruto looked at her, he could tell that she had an expression of fear on her face.

"I do not intend to do anything immodest with you, and I am not sure that I will even after marriage. I just needed a wife." He stated coldly. "This will be your room. After our marriage, we will share a bed." And with those words, he left the room.

Hinata stood there puzzled. Why were the words that he said just now so cold? It's as if he all of a sudden disliked her. Well, he may have never liked her in the first place. Hinata shook her head. Such silly thoughts. However, she could not forget what he said about not bedding her, even after marriage. Strange. Was she really that unatractive? Maybe he had a harem of women already and so his needs were met. Hinata shuddered at the disgusting thought. Though, it was common of rich men.

* * *

Naruto walked down the hall in a quick pace, pondering what he had just said to his future bride. Maybe it was a little cold in the way he presented his words, but, he truly was unsure if he would bed her. He didn't really want to take a risk. He didn't want to feel exposed.

Though he at least needed a wife to stay owner of his father's property, when he bargained with Hiashi for one of his daughters, he did not expect someone like Hinata. She was of no complaint, but still plain. It was still better than what he had hoped for though. She wasn't ugly at least.

With his business done for the day, he headed straight to his own quarters. He was ready to calm down and go to bed.

It wasn't long before he arrived to his own room, slipping in silently. He did not like having servants around his own living quarters. He preferred to do things himself. It was just safer that way.

Undressing, he headed to his bathroom ready for a shower before going to bed. It gave him some down time to think about work, and about Hinata.

* * *

Hinata paced around her room unable to stay still. She was so unsure of what to do, of what to think. She felt like she could just fall apart. Towards the back of the room, there were beautiful double sliding glass door that led to the balcony. With a sigh, she decided to go look what the balcony lay over. Maybe that would calm her down.

Standing over the balcony, she gasped. The garden that lay underneath it was absolutely beautiful! The land covered in grass, and trees were expertly sprawled across in just the right places. But most of all, there was a beautiful rock waterfall that led to a little pond and a pretty river that traversed the entire landscape. There were walkways of stone and bridges throughout everything, and patches of flowers and different plants. Sometime, she was definitely going to have to take a walk through it, and through her heart yearned to go now and explore the beautiful garden, she decided it was best to stay in her room for the night.

As she stared off into the garden, she began to think about her family. Her mother had died, leaving her father in charge. Her father was so cold, and collected towards her, but to her older sister, Hanabi he was praiseful and proud. In his eyes, she was successful, more talented that Hinata in every way. She had a way with people, and a gift of many talents. Hinata frowned. Thinking about this began to build a resentment towards her father. She had tried all her life after her mother died to impress him. Though her mother loved her for who she was, her father saw her as differently. A runt he would say, and useless. He told her that she would never be capable of bringing him the honor that her sister did.

Now to think that he would just willingly sell her off for money. Well, in the end, at least she was worth money she concluded. That is of some use to her father she supposed. She sighed. In a way, she still missed him, and her sister... and maybe her cousin a little too, even though he treated her with the same coldness. Neji.

* * *

Hinata awoke to hearing a rumbling and explosions nearby which jolted her right out of bed. What on earth was it coming from. Quickly putting on a white bathrobe, she hurried out of her room, past the servants which pleaded for her to stop and wait. She was too concerned with what on earth the noises were and had to find out for herself. Nearing the source of the noise, she came to a dead stop in the entryway of what looked like a training room of some sort only to realize that there were flames coming right for her.

Hinata's eyes widened in panic. She was so paralyzed to her spot and unable to even scream. The flames drew near before suddenly, a figure that appeared out of nowhere grabbed her in a blink of an eye and the flames crashed into the invisible wall that apparenly lined the doorway she was just standing in.

"That's enough for today Sasuke. I think we shall end practice now." A voice that was somewhat recognizable called. She could hear a faint reply of a "hn" somewhere in the distance.

She lay in this strangers arms as he craddled her. Opening her eyes, she looked only to see a pair of deep blue eyes staring straight at her with a hint of anger in them. She gulped.

"Hinata." He began firmly. "You should not be wondering the mansions without an escort. There were servants waiting on you. You should have not ignored them. You could have been killed!"

"I-I'm sorry I just... I just heard explosions and I was startled and..." Hinata tried to voice. She stuttered trying to get the words out. Naruto frowned, putting her down and standing up, pulling her up with him so she could stand. Looking around, Hinata could see the man in which Naruto called 'Sasuke'. He had onyx eyes and black hair and a cold expression on his face. She couldn't help but notice that he wore a ring on his wedding finger as well. Looking at his clothes, her eyes widened. She recognized the symbol on his clothes. They were the symbols of the Uchiha clan. So this was who everyone talked about when they talked about the prodigy of Uchiha. This was him. She had heard that he was the last of the clan, and after years of turmoil, and wars that the Uchiha had fought, he settled down with a woman of the Haruno clan. The Haruno clan was nothing more than a common name. She remembered all the mockery made of his marriage to the woman.

"Sasuke, this is my future bride, Hyuuga Hinata." Naruto said in a somewhat friendly matter. The Uchiha approached them, looking Hinata up and down.

"Not too bad Naruto, but you should really tell your future bride to stay out of the training room if she doesn't want killed." He stated monotonously. With that, he turned and began walki'ng away, saying a simple. "Ja-ne" and disappearing right before Hintata's eyes.

* * *

Naruto calmed his mind down. That was too damn close. He was lucky that he saw Hinata in time and was able to grab her and move her out the path of flames just in time. How stupid could she be? What kind of woman comes running towards danger? He was baffled at his future bride's actions.

"Well, let's head to breakfast. I'm hungry." He stated, grabbing Hinata's arm and leading here out of the training room.

Again, they came to the same doors that Hinata was led to for dinner. Naruto was still clad in black clothes, but wore a haori which had the same black coloring and red flames on it. Hinata could also notice the slight smell of exertion on him, and the sweat running down his face. She blushed a little. He looked somewhat handsome...

She was snapped out of her reverie when Naruto let go of her arm and pulled out a chair for her.

"Sit." He simply stated. Hinata did as she was told, trying to keep herself from staring at the man.

Breakfast was eaten in silence that morning.

* * *

After breakfast was done, Naruto instructed the servants to let Hinata do as she pleased, so long as she was escorted. He felt that it was not right to have her sit in her room all day while he tended to his business.

They parted ways at the dining room, and Hinata was led back to her room so that she may be washed and ready for the day.

Naruto walked calmly and at a slow pace to his office. It was a little weird to him to introduce Hinata as his fiance. A woman he barely knew, Sasuke was already against the idea. Naruto remembered his words.

_"Naruto, you shouldn't buy a wife. I'm telling you it is by far better to be stuck with someone you can tolerate."_

Which in a roundabout way, is his way of saying that he should marry for true love, not just because he would lose his rightful property and make a commitment to someone he may not ever like for the fear of his hidden secrets being exposed. Perhaps it was not right to just buy someone. Maybe... if he were put in Hinata's position, he would have already ran away. After all, he did begin to wonder how she felt. Thinking about it made him feel a pang of guilt. Maybe she would despise him because he bought her.

In his mind, he made a decision.

* * *

After Hinata was cleaned up, she told the servants that she would like the explore the garden some. After seeing how beautiful it was from her balcony the previous night, she was excited to actually go walk through it.

The servants did as she asked, and escorted her through the mansion and to the entrance of the garden.

There, the servants said they would wait her return.

Hinata walked in the garden, left to her own thought. Taking her sandals off, she let the soft grass caress her feet. She always thought it was funny how there were different textures and 'softness' of grass. Some grass was super spiky, like the grass her father liked, or like this grass, which was soft and almost fluffy.

She was soothed by the sound of the waterfall and the moving water of the little river. Though the sun shone bright outside, she was nothing bothered by the heat it radiated.

* * *

Feeling defeated, Naruto sighed and decided to take a break from his work. He decided to stand on the balcony and look into his garden. It always helped him calm down when he was stressed about something.

His eyes widened when he recognized the figure down on the ground, sitting on the grass under a tree in front of the river. He was mesmerized by the raven haired woman. She sat in a beautiful white sundress calmly, unmoving.

His heart jumped a little. She was so soft looking, and her skin radiated in the sun.

He frowned. No. It was too dangerous. He shook the thoughts of Hinata out of his head. No. He would not think of her this way. He could not let his emotions control him. That is how he would become dangerous. If he were to fall in love with her, he might hurt her. Maybe even end her life. He could never live if he knew he did that to her. No one deserved death because of his inability to control _it._

He turned and went back into his office. No matter how much he hated paperwork, he had no choice but to do it. After all, it was part of his duty.

* * *

Hinata swore she could have felt a pair of eyes staring at her. She looked up at the mansion only to see a hint of black clothing disappear into a room.

Was it Naruto that was looking at her? What did he think of her?

* * *

The day went about as usual, Naruto attending to his work, and Hinata roaming about, bored out of her mind. She at lunch alone, but she did enjoy the peace and solitude of the light lunch as she sat in the garden and ate it. The servants were so nice, and very attentive to her.

It was hard to think that anyone would complain of this life. After all, she was left alone by the man of the house for the most part, and with no promise of that changing. He let her do as she pleased. However, deep inside, she knew that she was not satisfied. Somewhere in her heart, she yearned for something more.

Darkness began to fall, and Hinata hadn't realized that she had spent all day outside in the gardens. It was so big, and so calming, watching the koi swim in the river, and the sound of nature around her. It was so big that it was easy to spend this much time in the gardens.

She was startled when she heard someone approach her from behind as she was watching the sunset.

She whipped her head around only to see Naruto calmly approaching her. She quickly stood up and bowed.

"Naruto-sama." She said softly. He took her arms and pulled her up from the bow.

"You have no reason to bow to me. You are my equal." He calmly said. Hinata nodded.

"Would it be okay if i took a walk with you around the gardens? It seems that you enjoy it." He stated.

"Y-yes. I do. It is quite beautiful." Hinata replied quietly. Naruto put his arm out for her, and Hinata carefully put her hand on it. They walked in silence for a ways, and stopped underneath a roofed structure that had one solid wall, but was opened the rest of the way around with wood trimming.

* * *

So, there's the second chapter. I'm building a little suspense as to what may happen next. Sorry if it feels like this is starting out slow. It will pick up soon.

Anyway, review if you could. That's always appreciated.

Thanks!

Cherryblossom hime.


	3. The Hatred that Seeped

And the story continues! I have forgotten how much I love fanfiction. I love to write, and I always love getting lost and letting my mind imagine what's going on in the stories that others write.

So the first two chapters may have been slow going, but hopefully it picks up a little more.

Thank you to those who reviewed. It always gives me a little more courage to continue writing, knowing that others enjoy my stories.

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Naruto

**Chapter Three: The Hatred that Seeped**

Naruto walked calmly through the gardens. Though he had walked through them a thousand times, it was a little different having someone else besides a servant walking beside him. Hinata followed him quietly, looking down at the ground for the most part but sometimes turning to look at something that caught her attention.

Eventually, they ended up underneath and eight wall wood cabana that had two solid walls, two empty walls for entrances, and the rest of the walls open but with wood lacing trim throughout. Hinata stopped.

"Naruto-sama... why is it... why are you doing this?" She asked suddenly. Naruto turned to look at her.

"What do you mean by your question? Are you implying that I have not had your needs attended to?" He said somewhat defensively. Hinata sensed the slight defensiveness.

"W-well... I just... I mean..." Naruto knew what was coming. Without realizing it, he could feel the rage inside him beginning to boil over.

"My father sold me to you and..." Before Hinata could finish her sentence, Naruto pushed her straight against one of the solid wood walls, both hands against the wall, on both sides of her face. He trapped her against the wall.

"And you belong to me!" He hissed at her. For the first time, Hinata truly felt fear of this man. He at first was so calm, nice even. But the man who stood before her was angry, and different. His eyes seemed to glow red with fire instead of the calm deep blue they usually were. Somehow, he just didn't seem normal.

"Do not dare question me or my intentions. Just be glad that someone was willing to pay a price for you." He seethed. Hinata felt as if a thousand needles had pierced her heart. She couldn't control the tears that immediately filled her eyes and fell without warning. For him to bring that up, for him to torture her and remind her of how useless her father made her out to be, to use that to contol her... She clenched her teeth.

"Y-you are a monster! You don't know anything about me! " She screamed at him, shoving him away from her with all her might. He was pushed back, leaving Hinata with enough space to immediately run. She ran as fast as she could, not caring about anything else other than becoming a paid wife to the likes of him!

Though the servants tried to stop her, she shoved right past them and ran straight into the forests.

* * *

The rage within Naruto immediately subsided once he realized he was layed flat out on his bum on the concrete floor of the cabana. He immediately furrowed his brow and wanted to rip himself to shreds. This was why he should have never came out to the gardens in the first place! To think that he was stupid enough to take a walk with her after staring at her from his work office all day. He was so stupid! He lost control, just like that!

He couldn't even remember the words that he said to her, but the words she said to him were still fresh on his mind. Using his flash speed, he found the nearest servant. The servant looked fearful of him.

"Where did she go?" He growled. The servant stood back.

"Uzumaki-sama... the forest. She ran into the forest, I swear I tried to stop her, but she shoved me off so hard and she..." Before he could even finish his sentence, Naruto was gone. He had to find Hinata. The forest was the worst thing for a woman. Terrible men scoured the forests. Rouges, theives, murderers, they all lurked in the likes of that place.

Naruto sighed in frustration as he jumped through the trees looking for the runaway.

* * *

Hinata stopped after finally coming to a clearing in the trees. She was running so hard, and so recklessly, she had allowed branches to stratch at her skin and on her face. Small cuts and bruises appeared, but she didn't care. She came to her knees, exhausted, panting heavily. The tears had stopped pouring for her eyes, but her heart still cried. It still hurt.

How could he say such a thing? Who the hell did he think he was? Hinata remembered the red fire that glowed in his eyes when he stared at her. They were so angry and full of hate. And those words... filled with nothing other than hatred and sourness and seeped through with each vowel. He was almost kind at first, simple, content, calm. But this stranger who pinned her up against a wall and frightened her, he was something else.

She was sitting in silence listening to the sound of her own breathing when suddenly, she heard a twig snap under something's weight. She quickly snapped her head towards the direction of where the sound came from. Her heart began to beat fast, and she began to panic inside. What if it was some fierce, hungry animal? She would easily become it's meal. Maybe it was just something running away because it sensed her presence.

None of these fears were confirmed when she heard the deep chuckles. In fact, in this very moment, she almost wished it was some wild, hungry animal.

"Looks like we've got a pretty one here boys." A deep voice said.

"I bet she'll be fun to play with." Another voice said.

"She looks so innocent." Another one bellowed.

Hinata's eyes widened in fear as she saw several men, all rugged and dirty looking step into the clearing. She was about to let out a scream when suddenly, a bag went over her head, and her arms and legs were tied.

* * *

Naruto stopped. Just then he swore he heard... He stopped dead in a tree to see a clearing. It was empty, except he could see Hinata's legs kicking as they disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

"Damn it." Naruto cursed. He just knew that this was going to happen. Judging by the several thumps of footsteps, there was a quite a few men involved in Hinata's abduction.

He quietly began pursuit of the men and Hinata, being weary of making too much noise, and watching out for any traps that could have possibly been made.

It seemed as if at least an hour had passed before Naruto could see where exactly the men were headed. Deep in the forest, a rugged looking shack sat ominously. Lights were on within it, but dim.

Naruto recognized the place after hearing descriptions of it. He had heard rumors of men that kidnapped women, took them to a shack deep in the woods, molesting them, raping them, making them their servants. Men like that were despicable. Naruto loathed men like them. His grip on the tree limb tightened, turning his knuckles white. If he was correct, he wouldn't have much time to save Hinata.

* * *

Hinata was placed roughly on a chair. Within seconds, her hands and legs were untied, only to be secured by metal chains onto the chair. She trembled. She had never been so scared in her life. How stupid of her to go running off like that! Why didn't she just run to her room or something like that instead?

The bag was removed from her face, the rough material scratching it. She glared at the men as soon as she opened her eyes.

"Well look here, she's even more beautiful than we thought." One rugged man joked. His hair was long and uncombed. He clothes tattered and torn.

"That feisty look on her face makes me want her even more!" Another man exclaimed licking his lips.

"Look, we've already got a room full of women, but none of them as beautiful as this one. We will save this for the boss." A tall, large man bellowed. Hinata suspected that he was the leader.

"But the boss always gets the best!" The same man who was licking his lips earlier complained. "I want her!"

Just then, the most rugged looking man of them all walked into the room. The smell of alcohol was fresh on his breath, as well as the fact that he probably hadn't showered or brushed his teeth... ever.

"Boss! Look what we got for you!" The men exclaimed. The boss, snapped out of his otherwise occupied thoughts, looked at his men, and then at Hinata.

"Oh ho ho! I will waste no time dirtying this one up!" He exclaimed joyfully. He walked towards Hinata, smelling her. "She even smells good. I'll be sure to put her under."

* * *

The high pitched scream alerted Naruto. His eyebrows furrowed, and he clenched his teeth. Hinata was in there and they were doing who knows what with her. Without another moments hesitation, he jumped down from the tree, and headed straight for the entrance of the shack. A strategy didn't matter anymore. All he knew is that he had to come to Hinata's aid NOW.

Bursting through the door of the shack, he threw three shurikens, each hitting one man.

"You let her go this instant." He seethed. Hinata almost had a relieved look on her face, except she could see that Naruto's eyes were again clouded over by that same redness and began to glow. It sent a little bit of fear through her.

The coarse man in who the others referred to as the 'boss' chuckled deeply. Sure, this so called 'hero' did take out three of his henchmen, but he had plenty at his disposal.

"Men, shall we show this solo 'hero' what happened when all the other 'heroes' came after their women?" He bellowed. His words were followed by chuckles from the men around him. One by one, more and more men began to appear through the various doorways of the shack.

Naruto counted them all silently in his head. 'one...two...three...four...five...six...seven...'

For one person, this wasn't going to be easy to pull off, but Naruto didn't have a choice, not if he wanted to save Hinata.

"Don't think that I will go down so easy." Naruto warned. The men just laughed at him.

"No matter, we will simply beat you with sheer number." The boss retorted. "Men! Whoever can kill this man, will instead get to have fun with our new toy tonight!"

Without a second more, it look like a massacre had began. Men flying themselves at Naruto, and men dropping to the ground at Naruto's feet.

Hinata had to watch in a little bit of awe as she saw Naruto knocking these men out cold. He was swift, and perfectly executed every blow with his hands and legs. As she watched him however, a hand was put over her mouth, which caused Hinata to let out a scream. The scream however, was not heard by Naruto.

"You better shut up pretty girl before I kill you. You're coming with me. I'll let you live just a little bit longer so I can have my way with you before you die!" A voice hissed. Hinata recognized it though. It was the voice of the boss. He released her from the chair, only to grab her hair and drag her to another room, unnoticed by Naruto who was fighting off men like a swarm of bees.

* * *

Naruto couldn't believe how many of these men lived in this place. He had to of dropped at least twenty of them, but they still seemed to come from every direction. He turned his head quickly to see if Hinata was still sitting in that chair, only to come to the realization that she was gone.

That was it. Naruto was furious. He felt pure hatred seep into his senses and emotions. The red in his eyes become deeper, his teeth sharper, and his hands claws. He was enveloped in a red aura, and before he knew it, he was no longer himself.

"Stop!" Hinata pleaded. "Please!"

With her hands tied, she was helpless. The man tied a cloth around her mouth so that she couldn't be heard.

That didn't stop Hinata from screaming though. She thrashed her legs and body as much as she could, but this man was easily twice her size and was able to hold her down. He began to lift her dress up, closer and closer to her privates. Hinata tried to thrash harder, but it only made things worse. She began to cry.

Just as the man had reached her underwear, an explosion went off and the man went flying off of her. A red fox, just like the ones that she had seen carved in the wood around Uzumaki mansion came flying through the door into the room. Hinata was horrified. What was that thing?

Just as she was about to get up and run away, she felt something hit her, and she came crashing down to the floor, seeing the red fox head straight for something behind her before her world went black.

All of a sudden, the rage subsided. Naruto stood in a half torn down shack heaving. He fell to his knees exhausted. He looked at the once whole man in front of him that was now mutilated. His claws were gone, his teeth now dull, and the red in his eyes slowly subsided.

Naruto looked over to see Hinata on the floor knocked out cold, her dress still up in an indecent place. He frowned. Without a second more, he got back on his feet and made his way over to her. Picking her up gently, he pulled her dress back down to her knees and carried her in his arms.

It would be a while before they would reach home, and Naruto could feel his curse taking its toll on his body, but none of that mattered. He wanted to go home. He wanted to get Hinata home, and he wanted to know that she was safe.

After an hour and a bit had passed, Naruto could finally see the walls of his mansion. He stopped when he reached near the entrance, walking slowly, holding Hinata close to him. Servants came running out to meet their master.

"Uzumaki-sama!"

"Welcome back"

"What happened?" Several of the servants said. Naruto did not reply to any of these greetings or questions.

"Go to her room and make sure it's ready." He said. With that half the servants bustled away to go fulfill what they were asked.

"Continue on with your regular duties. Everything will be fine." Naruto instructed the rest.

He continued to carry Hinata into his mansion, and up to her bedroom. Women servant were busy bustling around to make sure that her bed was perfect.

Naruto gently lay her on her bed.

"Make sure that she is wearing comfortable clothes, and her wounds are attended to immediately." He said before leaving the room. He slowly made his way into his own quarters, and before he knew it, he passed out, right on his bedroom floor.

* * *

Woohoo! I am blazing through this story! I absolutely love it!

I will probably have the next chapter posted soon.

Reviews are always appreciated!

Thanks!

Cherryblossom hime


	4. Turmoil Between Feelings

Did I leave a cliff hanger at all? Maybe not... well the goal was to get you guys interested enough to come back for more of the story.

The last chapter was kind of dark, but what I liked about it is it shows the affection Naruto already has for Hinata deep down though he may not realize it himself yet.

I did make Hinata seem kind of useless in the last chapter, but that will change in the chapters to come.

Yes, the characters are a little different from the Canon personality, but since I did make them older in this story, it seemed to fit a little more to make them more mature, especially Naruto.

So, the story continues!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters

**Chapter Four: Turmoil Between Feelings**

With the sunlight shining straight onto Hinata's face, her eyes slowly fluttered open. For a minute, she had no idea where she was, and with that realization, she shot straight out of bed and looked around frantically.

She began to recognize the room... it was the room that she had been staying in over the past couple of days in the Uzumaki mansion.

Then the flashback of what transcended last night came flooding back into her memories. She her head hard and her world went black.

How did she get back here? Was she still dreaming? Was she dead?

Hinata heard some of the women servant outside her door quietly talking.

"The others said that they found Uzumaki-sama passed out on the floor this morning." One of them said quietly.

"I heard that he was still in the same clothes from before. Those who have seen him said he had bloodstains on them too!" The other said back.

Hinata's eyes widened. She quickly jumped out of bed and opened the door.

"Naruto-sama! Where is he?" She exclaimed. The servants just blinked at her.

"H-hinata-sama!" They bowed. "We heard that he is up and resuming his daily duties now."

Without a second more, Hinata went running past them. She had to find Naruto. She had to see for herself that he was okay. Little did she know of what she was wearing...

Naruto sat in the same cabana that he and Hinata and fought in the night before. He had his work duties to attend to, but he just didn't feel up to doing his work. He even cancelled all of his appointments for today, including his sparring session with his best friend Uchiha Sasuke.

No matter how hard he tried to stop thinking about her, he just couldn't. He was worried, and he was afraid of what might happen next.

He was lost deep in thought when he heard her voice. He looked in her direction seeing her running.

"Naruto!" She exclaimed. She came running straight to him, stopping right in front of him panting.

Naruto about threw a fit right then and there once he saw what she was wearing. The servants had dressed her in tiny black spandex shorts, and a black bandeau for her chest, and a flowly seethrough tank top. He could see her curves perfectly, her toned body, and her silky smooth skin. This is what she had been hiding underneath all those clothes?

Curious as to what Naruto was so entranced about, she looked at herself and went beet red.

What on earth was she wearing? She began to stutter horribly.

"I-I... U-um... I mean... the maids... I, er... I was worried..." She couldn't just get the right words to come out of her mouth, and before she could, Naruto stood up and hugged her.

Hinata stopped dead in her tracks. His touch sent what felt like electricty down her whole body. Her heart rate increased, and she could hear her heart beating in her ears. She slowly brought her arms up to embrace him back. She wasn't sure what to think at this moment.

"Hinata..." Naruto said softly. "I'm so sorry." Those words made Hinata want to cry. He said them so tenderly and calmly. She buried her face into his chest as if it were so natural for her to do. She had never been apologized to before.

"I-I... I shouldn't of ran off... That, no I was wrong." She admitted. "And... I put you in danger, a-and you..." she trailed off, thinking about the red fox she had seen previously the night before.

Naruto broke off the hug.

"Hinata, you know what I truly am, and because of that, I can't be close to you." Naruto began, seriousness coming back into his voice. "I can't hurt you. I won't take the risk. It's bad enough that you were forced to come here."

Hinata wanted to protest but Naruto continued.

"I'm a monster, Hinata. I thought maybe it would work, but I think... I think it's time for you to go home."

The word 'home' evoked an immediate emotion of anger and hurt in Hinata.

"I don't want to go home! I have no home to go to!" She burst out. A surprised look came onto Naruto's face at her sudden outburst.

"My father... he doesn't want me home, so please. Even if you don't like me, please let me stay here." She trailed off, calming herself.

Naruto began to wonder about her sudden outburst. What did she mean by she had no home to go to? Her father doesn't want her home? It was obvious however that Hinata was not going to talk on the subject easily. But, he couldn't say no. What would he lose by letting her stay? Other than his self control...

"Okay. You... You're welcome to stay... just don't go into the forest again. I want you to stay on the mansion grounds." He concluded. With that said, he turned and began to walk away. He needed time to think.

* * *

Hinata stared at the blonde hair man walking away from her. Again, her feelings were so confused. One second, he's being affectionate and it sends her heart soaring, and the next second, he's being withdrawn yet again and evoking anger and hurt within her. She felt as if her emotions were going on a roller coaster ride.

For him to act so unattached, and then go racing off to save her and her honor and putting himself in danger, and then hugging her and telling her how sorry he was, and then wanting to send her home...

In fact, he had saved her twice! Once from his friend's fire bolts, and second from those filthy disgusting men.

What on earth was she supposed to get out of all these mixed messages?

Realizing that she was still in indecent clothes, she blushed. Remembering that Naruto was staring at her, and then hugged her made her wonder what he was thinking. She pondered on the words he said about not being able to be close to her and not wanting to risk it. What was he still running from?

* * *

Naruto sat in his office, still having no enthusiasm to even attempt to do the work sitting right in front of him. He wanted to figure out what on earth he was going to do about this girl.

He remembered how exposed she was in her sleeping attire, and how perfectly curvy, and tone...

Naruto shook the thoughts from his head. No. This was bad. He can't think like that! But then he remembered how soft her skin was to the touch when he hugged her, and how sweet she smelled, and how perfectly she fit...

Again, he scolded himself and shook the thoughts out of his head. He tried to convince himself that since he didn't have much interaction with women, it was just his body going crazy.

He already told her that he was NOT going to get close to her, that he couldn't, and he wouldn't. And with good reason. As she saw yesterday, the demon he harbored inside was nothing but destructive.

But then... she did come running to him. Maybe she knew what happened last night? It was as if she didn't care about the demon she saw yesterday. She cared about him.

And then... there was her defensiveness about going home. Sure, her father did sell her to him, as can be common with nobles. Though, many like to marry for love. To think that she would say that she has no home to go to, and that her father would never take her back... it made him wonder what was going on there. She got really defensive on the subject the night before as well... even thought Naruto could not remember what on earth he had said.

Maybe he needed to find out.

* * *

The day went by slowly. Hinata found herself just wandering around and snooping through the mansion for most of the day. She found different portraits of people who looked similar to Naruto, yet somehow different. She guessed that they must have been his parents. The woman with red hair next to a man that looked just like Naruto was beautiful.

She was snapped out of her reverie when a servant approached her to inform her that it was time for dinner, and that Naruto would like her to join him.

She agreed and followed the servant into the dining room.

"Are you satisfied with the mansion?" Naruto asked as he pushed her chair in for her. Hinata nodded.

"Yes, it's beautiful. I was looking at paintings earlier today... the man looked a lot like you and there was a beautiful red headed woman as well..." She trailed off.

"Those are my parents Uzumaki Minato and Kushina." Naruto informed. "They died when I was young." He finished.

Hinata immediately felt a little guilty for asking. "O-oh... I'm sorry that happened." She said softly. Naruto only grunted.

Dinner came, and was eaten in silence. Hinata could feel a little awkwardness in the air, but decided not to press the matter.

Midway through, Naruto broke the silence.

"Would you... like to take a walk with me?" He asked calmly. "I have something I would like to show you."

Hinata nodded in response.

* * *

After dinner, Naruto kindly offered his arm to guide Hinata to where they were going.

"We'll be going off the mansion grounds, but it's not far." Naruto said as the headed out to the entrance of the mansion. Hinata felt oddly at ease and did not bother to question him, only follow.

They walked through a moonlit forest with a clear path. Hinata suspected that Naruto might've come here often. She could hear the roaring of water in the distance. She could feel the heat of the night causing her to sweat a little, but in a way, it felt good.

It wasn't long before they reached the source of the sound of rushing water. A beautiful waterfall lay in this clearing, with a crystal clear pool beneath it that had a little river that ran off elsewhere.

" I love to come out here," Naruto began. "It was one of my favorite spots as a kid and well..." He paused for a moment. "I know it's kind of hot tonight and the waters cool."

Hinata blushed. Though she had put on something more modest on than what she was wearing this morning, she had only taken the tank top off and put on a purple sundress over the black attire she was wearing earlier. But... at least it would be ideal for swimming.

Naruto was already stripped down to his boxers and was about the jump into the water. This only caused Hinata to blush even more. He was super tone and fit, and she could see different scars on his skin, probably from fighting... Hinata had to snap her gaze away.

Following his lead, she took off her dress and left the black bandeau and her black shorty shorts on. It made her shy to expose herself like this, but it was already something Naruto had seen, and he said so himself that he couldn't be close to her. That meant that he would allow himself to have no interest in her right?

She wasn't paying attention to the way Naruto was looking at her. He jumped into the water just before she looked at him. She soon jumped into the water as well.

In the humid summer heat, the water felt cool yet still warm. It was perfect. She only went deep enough into the water so that the tops of her shoulders were sticking out, and her hair floated smoothly in the water. Naruto was busy swimming underwater, but Hinata liked just standing there calmly. Without any warning though, Naruto came out of the water right in front of her. He was taller than her as the water came down just underneath his chest.

"Hinata, I want to talk to you..." He began. "I want to know why you won't go home." Those words were what Hinata dreaded to hear.

* * *

And so I will leave you hanging!

The next chapter will be awesome though so you wont want to miss it!

Please review if you'd like!

Thanks!

Cherryblossom hime


	5. The Untold Truth

I love days that I can just sit in my bed and write. It's awesome. I love letting my imagination just flow and take me off.

I did leave a bit of a cliff hanger this last chapter for sure, and trust me. What's to unfold in this next chapter may not be what you expect.

Thank you to all those who have stayed interested in this fanfic and reviewed. It's been really appreciated!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Naruto

**Chapter Five: The Untold Truth**

The words ran clear in her head, but Hinata did not dread them any less. For him to be so upfront about it...

"Hinata, I want to know." Naruto demanded. Hinata frowned.

"I... he... look I haven't been exactly what my father would call 'useful' and that's why he sold me off to you in the first place." Hinata began. She hoped that was enough to satisfy Naruto's curiousity, but unfortunately it wasn't.

"Why... would he think that you are useless?" He probed on.

Hinata stood there for a moment, refusing to make any eye contact with Naruto. She debated on whether she wanted to continue this conversation, or change the subject.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked. Hinata sighed. It was now or never.

"H-he just... ever since my mother died he told me I was useless, clumsy, ugly, un-" She was cut off right there.

"Your mother died?" Naruto asked genuinely.

"Yeah. When I was little." Hinata replied. "I look a lot more like my mother than my sister Hanabi does."

Naruto stood there for a minute in deep thought before continuing to ask questions.

"What did... your father say when he said goodbye?" He asked. By this point, he could hear sniffles coming from Hinata as if she was trying to hold back tears. She eventually choked out an answer.

"He said... not to be a burden," She began, "And I know I have been I was so stupid to run away last night and we almost got killed, but you came looking for me and..." She trailed off, still sniffling with tears coming down her face.

What a mess. She was having a total meltdown in front of a man she barely knew, who had scared her only the night before, only to come save her make sure she was safe later.

"Hinata... It was my fault I scared you. Truthfully, I don't even remember what I said to you that made you shove me away and run... I was lost." Naruto admitted. "I can't control this rage within me."

Hinata placed her face against his chest and continued sobbing. Naruto knew that he wasn't going to get her to say anything else, so instead he decided to comfort her. He wrapped his arms around her gently, embracing her and letting her cry.

Emotionally, she had been through a lot in the past couple days.

"Seriously?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow. Naruto only nodded.

"Dobe." Sasuke stated.

"I know I know but I think..." Naruto trailed off. Sasuke interrupted.

"Did you take my advice at all?" He asked.

"No but, I mean... Well I sorta don't want her to go." Naruto admitted. "But she should, that's what would be best."

"Maybe she is what's best for you." Sasuke suggested. Naruto gave him a puzzled look. Sasuke sighed. He was going to explain it and he was not a man of words.

"Look any woman who doesn't just leave you after what she's been through obviously has determination, or is just plain stupid. I would prefer to think the first for your sake." Sasuke said monotonously, hoping that his naive friend would take a hint.

The two were standing in his office talking about what had happened over the past couple of days. Sasuke though he wouldn't admit it, was somewhat concerned when Naruto had cancelled their sparring.

"I just... It's like... I'm so confused." Naruto groaned. "One moment I see how beautiful she is and I want to be with her... and the next I don't want to be with her at all! It's like she's some evil temptress without trying to be. I already told her it was a bad idea and that I can't be close to her and -" Naruto was cut off from his rambling.

"You like her." The Uchiha simply stated. Naruto gave him a startled look, and instantly denied is claim.

"No! I don't! I don't even know her that well! Besides she's so emotionally torn between the crap that's happened with her own family, and she can't like me because I am after all just the man who bought her and..." Naruto was just a rambling mess. "Sasuke, you know what happens when I can't control myself."

"Naruto, it's like I said. Take my advice." Sasuke stated. "Maybe you should come let her stay with Sakura and I. That woman is driving me nuts right now because she's pregnant." Sasuke didn't realize that he just let his big news slip.

"WHAT!" Naruto exclaimed. "YOUR WIFE IS PREGNANT AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!"

"Dobe, I was going to but you were too busy complaining about your woman troubles." Sasuke retorted cooly. Naruto sighed.

"Good point." He replied defeatedly.

* * *

At breakfast, Naruto brought up the offer of staying with the Uchihas for a week. He convinced her saying that it would be something different and that she will have a female companion instead of being stuck here alone all day while he worked. He said that they had different things to do, and that the Uchihas wife could use a companion for a while anyway.

It didn't take too much convincing, because Hinata agreed easily.

After breakfast, Hinata went to her room to pack her things for a week stay. Naruto was going to escort her there.

In the carriage, it was mostly silent until Naruto began a conversation.

"So... I don't want you to feel obliged to come back," He began, "You are more than welcome to stay there as long as you want, or come back as soon as you want..." He trailed off. Hinata almost detected a hint of loneliness in his voice, but wondered if it was just her imagination.

* * *

It wasn't long before they arrived at the Uchiha estate. Sasuke awaited outside along with a pink haired woman in whom Hinata suspected was his pregnant wife. As soon as their carriage stopped and Hinata stepped out, the pink haired woman came running over and gave her a big hug.

"Hinata-chan! I am so happy to meet you! You are so cute! Naruto-kun is going to have a cute wife!" She exclaimed. Hinata blushed, not realizing that Naruto was blushing a little bit himself.

"Sakura, give your friend some space." Sasuke said as he caught up with his wife. He smirked at Naruto.

"Come, come!" Sakura explained. "I will show you to your new room!" and with that, she began to drag Hinata towards their estate before she could say anything. Realizing that she was not going to get out of this pink haired woman's grasp, she turned her faced to Naruto, silently mouthing him a goodbye and thank you.

Naruto watched as his friend's wife drag away his promised betrothed.

"So I take it that you are going to be spending this week thinking?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow. Naruto weakly nodded, eyes still on Hinata being dragged away by Sakura.

"Don't worry. My wife might be crazy, but she'll take good care of her." Sasuke said trying to somewhat comfort his friend.

* * *

Hinata was blown away by the Uchihas estate. It was just as pretty as Naruto's, if not prettier. In Naruto's defense, he didn't have a wife to do the decorating for him. Sakura was rambling on about different things as she led her towards the room she would be staying in while she was hear, but Hinata just seemed to tune it out. In a way, she was kind of disappointed that she didn't get to say a better goodbye to Naruto.

"Huh? Hinata-chan? Are you there?" Sakura asked. That snapped Hinata out of her distracted thoughts.

"Um, yes. Sorry please continue." She said trying to cover up. Sakura, who was oblivious to the fact that she was lost in her own thoughts, continued on talking and talking about random things.

When they reached Hinata's new bedroom, they stopped.

"Here's your room Hinata-chan. I'll let you get unpacked and cleaned up. If you need something, there are always maids around." And with that, the pink haired woman left Hinata to her own thoughts.

Sitting on her bed, Hinata thought about Naruto. She wondered what she had just gotten herself into. Would he be okay alone? Hinata frowned. Why was she worrying about him anyway? He's spent years alone. And since he is still being pretty detached to her, why would he feel any different?

* * *

Naruto paced his office back and forth. He was uncomfortable, and uncontent. His thoughts were on Hinata like crazy. He thought about yesterday, the image of all of her burned into his mind.

This was frustrating him all to hell. Why did he feel this way? It's not like he knew Hinata very well, but yet, he felt like he had known her for years. Why?

She had been with him three days, and now of the fourth, she left to go live with his best friend and his wife for a week. This week was going to go by slow. He wouldn't have her to eat with, or talk to when they passed, or spend the evening with at his favorite spot, or in the garden...

He groaned. Four days and he already can't remember what it was like without her.

This was bad. Very bad. His heart ached to think of her, see her, talk to her and hear her voice, but his mind argued otherwise. His logic told him that this was a terrible idea, and that nothing good would ever come out of falling in love...

In love? Naruto sat down at his desk. Love? No. Not this soon. There was no such thing. It was just a mere crush. He just liked her body, that's it. It was just his hormones and manly needs getting in the way.

No. His logic was right. He couldn't risk it. He could hurt her. He already has and he doesn't want to ever do it again.

And so, he formed a resolution, and this time, he knew he had to stick by it no matter what his mind or heart said.

* * *

A couple days passed, and Hinata had adjusted to spending time with Sakura just fine. The two would joke and laugh at each other, she would admire Sasuke and Sakura when they were together, even if it was a battle of wits. She felt that they seemed so happy, and deep in her heart, she wished that she could find that same happiness someday. She always liked the idea of falling in love with someone and marrying them.

The third day was coming to a close. Sasuke unfortunately was out on late business, so the girls sat together in Hinata's room and talked.

"So have you and Naruto done anything yet?" Sakura asked, causing the raven haired woman to blush like crazy.

"N-naruto and I? N-no." Hinata replied shyly.

"He hasn't even kissed you?" Sakura asked with a raised eyebrow. Hinata shook her head.

"W-we've hugged. Does that count?" Hinata asked sheepishly. Sakura laughed.

"Seriously?" She asked chuckling.

"Naruto said that he didn't want to get too close." Hinata blurted out, a little offended up how lightly Sakura treated things. She immediately stopped laughing and gave her a serious look.

"He said what?" Sakura asked seriously.

"He said that it would be best that we don't get too close. He said that he didn't want to hurt me." Hinata openly said. "I-I'm not even sure he really wants me there. He has offered to let me go home."

This was worse than Sakura thought. She knew that her friend had bought a wife, but to send her back home and reject her?

"It's because of the red fox he's cursed with isn't it?" Sakura asked. Hinata nodded.

"His parents... they died because the were trying to protect their people, their clan, and to do so, they had to seal that demon inside him." Sakura continued. "And despite all that, Naruto is still a really good man. He brought Sasuke back to me after he left to avenge the death of his clan." Sakura had a little smile on her face as she rubbed her little bump on her belly. She must've been reminiscing something that had happened when Sasuke was brought home. Hinata was surprised to hear what she just did, and it only made her want to hear more.

"Despite having no parents to teach him, Naruto has always been a determined person, and he has always cared about everyone else's safety, even before his own when he most needs it. He secludes himself because he doesn't want anyone to be hurt by his accord." Hinata listened eagerly to the words Sakura said.

"That is probably why he won't let me in and would rather send me home..." Hinata trailed.

"No, I can tell you right now, that just seeing him with you, there is a different look on his face. His eyes seem a little happier somehow." Sakura said softly. Hinata couldn't help but blush all over again.

"Maybe you shouldn't give up on him." Sakura stated. "He deserves someone like you."

Hinata frowned. "No. He deserves better; he could do better. He just bought me to keep his parents belongings, but I think he could easily find someone that would love him for who he is."

"And why can't that be you?" Sakura asked bluntly. Hinata was taken aback by her question.

* * *

And... there's the chapter! There is LOTS of drama to come the next chapter. I think it will be my favorite chapter to write so far.

Thank you for reading! I hope that this fanfic has kept you interested!

Cherryblossom hime


	6. Denial of the Heart

And the writing marathon continues!

This is going to be my favorite chapter to write so far! So read on! I think you guys will love it!

Thank you to all my supporters!

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Naruto

**Chapter Six: Denial of the Heart**

The days seem to drag on especially slow after what Hinata and Sakura had talked about on the third night. It was now the fifth day, and Hinata wanted the day to go faster.

Her mind had been flooded with the thoughts of Naruto since that night. The thought of him began to make her flutter even more. Though she tried to deny it with all her might, being away from Naruto has only made her want to be with him more. And after hearing about all the good things both Sakura and Sasuke had to say about him, she wasn't sure if she could deny her heart any longer.

Only her fear of being rejected was holding her back.

She remembered the night at his favorite waterfall, how he looked so handsome half naked in the moonlight, and how warm and soothing he was when he just let her cry and held her. How he carried her back to the mansion while she slept in his arms and he gently lay her in bed and covered her with her sheet before leaving quietly to go to bed himself.

How could someone that was viewed as a monster be so gentle and so caring?

She remembered his hot temper and how he pinned her up against the wall... and it made her blush like mad. She could smell his musky scent that night, and even though she was frightened at that time, she couldn't deny that he was still handsome.

Her heart raced as she thought about these things, and then the words of Sakura came into her mind.

_"And why can't that be you?"_

Hinata had been thinking about what that meant. Was she implyingshe should try to win Naruto over? That she should try to make him fall in love with her, and open up to her? Hinata shook the thoughts out of her head. Even though Naruto had been so friendly with her, she doubted that he harbored any affections past maybe friendship for her. She was so plain anyway.

* * *

Naruto had it. Five days away had been too much and although he continuously denied the feelings of his heart, he had to do it now or never before it drove him crazy.

The letter. He needed to finish the letter and send it to Sasuke.

He sat at his desk wracking his brain for the right words to put into the letter. Either way, he knew that it wasn't going to be easy, and the outcome might be much less than likeable. He knew that his friend wouldn't get it till tomorrow, but still he needed to finish it.

* * *

Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata all sat around the dining table waiting for dinner. Sakura was busy talking away as usual, Sasuke pretending to listen even though he really was and giving input on what she said. Hinata was the only silent one at the table.

"Oh? Hinata-chan, why so quiet?" Sakura asked all of a sudden. Sasuke was looking at her too.

"Oh nothing! I was just thinking and you guys were busy having a conversation!" Hinata lied. Sakura and Sasuke looked at each other but decided to shrug it off anyway.

She continued to let her mind wonder off to whatever she felt like thinking about, listening to her friends in the background talking about different things.

* * *

When dinner was over, she decided to retire to her room for the night since the Sakura and Sasuke hadn't spent much time together during the course of the week. She sat in her room thinking about how Naruto might feel. He had been alone for a while and maybe it was time for her to go back. After all, in a way, it had become her home after all. Although not completely ideal, it was better than how her father would treat her.

She snuggled up in bed thinking on her decision. Naruto offered to let her come home whenever she felt was right.

* * *

Naruto laid in bed thinking about what he had wrote in his letter. Though his heart and mind continuously argued about it, it was written, sealed, and ready to be sent off the next morning. There was no going back.

These last five days had reminded him of his life before he had brought Hinata to live with him and eventually marry him. The guilt that began to build inside him was too great. He ripped her away from her home, even though she says it wasn't an ideal place, he knew that no matter what, a child always misses their family deep down.

He couldn't control himself around her, and that most of all, was dangerous. He already had a couple anger spikes being with her, and he hadn't had those since he brought Sasuke back to Sakura. Was she causing them, or was it the anger that others had hurt her that caused them?

Naruto didn't know. His heart felt something for her, and he wanted to deny it, and he would deny it for as long as it was possible for him to. He didn't like the way he was attracted to her, how his heart soared, and how electricity was shot through every fiber of his body when she touched him, how the thought of her body and silky smooth skin made him want her.

He had told himself that he wasn't going to let himself get close, and he had already let himself get too close.

* * *

Hinata awoke to the sounds of birds chirping loudly outside her window, and the sunshine shining straight into her room brightening it up. She stretched. Today was the day that she was going to go home. She decided it was time to return, and although the hospitality of Sasuke and his wife had been absolutely perfect, her heart wanted her to see Naruto.

She cleaned herself up, put on a cute flowy tank top that was turquoise with waves on it and her spandex black short. She left her hair down and decided that there was no need to do her makeup today. She wanted to go plain.

As she walked throughout the estate, she passed by Sasuke's office and heard a quiet arguement going on inside.

"What on earth could this letter mean?" a woman hissed in which Hinata recognized to be Sakura's voice.

"It means what it says. Naruto that coward." Sasuke replied back.

"How could he do this to her? That's not fair!" Sakura exclaimed obviously upset. Hinata had heard enough. The letter was obviously from Naruto by what she had heard, and she needed to know.

Mustering up all the courage that she had, she opened the study to the door. Sasuke and Sakura quickly acknowledged her presence in the room.

"What does that letter say?" Hinata asked demanding an answer. Before Sasuke could say anything, Sakura snatched the letter from her husband's hand and stomped over to give it to Hinata.

"Read it." Was all Sakura said. Hinata looked down at the letter and immediately her eyes widened in panic and it felt like her heart was ripped in two. The letter read:

_Sasuke,_

_I'm sending you this because I know I don't have the strength to do what I should do._

_I can't have Hyuuga Hinata stay with me any longer. I don't want to even see her. I can't love her._

_Therefore, I ask that you send her home to her father after her stay ends with you. _

_I will have the rest of her things sent to her father when I hear word that she is headed back to the Hyuuga Home._

_Naruto._

Hinata stood in the middle of the room paralyzed for a moment, letting the tears fall straight onto the letter. How could he? Why would he just send her away? This was ridiculous!

Without a word, she went running straight out of the office and to her room to get her shoes. She had words to say to that Uzumaki.

* * *

A storm began to brew overhead. Sakura, after leaving Hinata to herself for a few hours decided to go look for her hurt friend. Though she knew deep down why Naruto had done this, and that he truly did not mean what he wrote and was going to do, she had to comfort her friend.

She came to her room and called her name.

"Hinata-chan? Are you in there?" Sakura called. "Hinata-chan?" She received no response, and after waiting a couple more second with no response, she swung the bedroom door open. Hinata was gone.

Sakura went running to her husbands office.

"Sasuke-kun!" she said bursting through the doors. "Hinata-chan is gone! I think she's going to see Naruto by herself!"

* * *

Running down the same path that she had taken to get to the Uchihas from the Uzumaki mansion, it began to pour rain, and Hinata could hear the distant thunder rolling in the skies. She would be drenched, muddy, and tired by the time she would get to the Uzumaki mansion, but she didn't care.

It seemed like an eternity had passed by the time Uzumaki mansion came into view, and Hinata was muddy and wet, her hair just dripping. She was panting heavily, and her feet hurt so bad from running in sandals. She stormed right past the front gate, passed the servants who looked puzzled to see her, and straight up to Naruto's office.

When she found that he was not in his office, she ran to the only other place that he could be; His room.

* * *

Naruto was staring out of his glass sliding doors that led to his balcony watching the storm. It seemed to fit his mood perfectly. After all, he knew that Hinata had to be receiving the news by now.

He tried not to imagine the look on her face that she would have when she heard the news. It didn't want to think of it. He already couldn't deal with his guilt.

However, before he could think another thought, the door to his room burst open. He snapped his head to the direction of the door and his eyes widened.

There stood Hinata, her feet and legs muddy, her clothes and hair sopping wet and dripping on the floor, but that didn't seem to bother her. She held a piece of paper in her hands that Naruto suspected was the letter that he had sent to Sasuke earlier that day. When he looked at her face, she was furious.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO YOU SELFISH BASTARD!" She furiously yelled. She stomped into his room and marched right up to him. Naruto had already stood from his bed. She threw his letter at him.

"I can't believe you!" She exclaimed. "How could you just send me away like some kind of item that is disposed of when it's no longer needed?" She was trying to hold back her tears, but Naruto could see her eyes watering up. Naruto could feel the rage beginning to build within him.

"Am I so disgusting to you that you really do hate seeing me, and you feel that I am unlovable?" She was sobbing now. She waited a moment for an answer, but received none. She looked Naruto fiercely in the eyes only the see the red flow bursting in them and the furious expression on his face.

"Hinata, If I were you, I would leave NOW." He warned, but she stood her ground.

"I'm not leaving untill you answer me!" She demanded. Naruto growled. He grabbed her shoulders, his grip hard on them. The red was burning strong in his eyes but Hinata didn't care. She wanted her answer! She stared him straight in the face still, even though tears were falling uncontrollably from her eyes. She clenched her fists.

"I told you to LEAVE!" Naruto hissed, pushing her away. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. The sounds of her cry came fiercely now.

"I won't Naruto! I can't! Because I can't deny my heart like you!" She choked standing back up. In rage Naruto came rampaging towards her. All reason and logic in his head were nearly gone. He grabbed her again, but this only seemed to give her the courage to speak up.

"I-I came back Naruto because I love you! Why can't you see that!" She admitted frustrated, and crying. The shock of her words stopped Naruto dead in his tracks, and his anger immediately receded. He grip on her shoulders loosened, and his eyes went back to their same deep blue color. The look of rage on his face subsided, only to be replaced by the look of shock, and then his facial features soften.

"Hinata..." He said softly, looking her straight in the face. Hinata had stopped crying momentarily, trying to understand what was going on at this very second, and before she knew it, his lips came crashing onto hers.

It took a moment for Hinata to register what was going on before she closed her eyes and let herself succumb to what her heart had been desiring all along. His lips were perfect against hers. He kissed her softly and passionately sending electricity down the entire length of her body. She began to kiss back, wrapping her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. In response, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his body.

Naruto had to find the discipline in him to stop, but he didn't want to. He slipped his tongue into Hinata's mouth and when their tongues made contact, it sent another jolt of pleasure throughout his body. He snaked his hands underneath Hinata's wet tank top and felt her smooth skin, curves, and flat tones stomach. He still wanted more.

They came crashing onto his bed, with Naruto on top and Hinata underneath him. He about lost it again, but forced himself to stop and look at her. There she was, sprawled innocently underneath him. If he continued, she probably wouldn't stop him. He opted to give her a light peck on the lips, before pushing himself off of her and sitting on the edge of the bed. He could see the look of disappointment begin to appear on Hinata's face.

"I-I can't Hinata. I can't lose control." He began. She sat up and looked at him. "I won't. Not until you are my wife."

* * *

Dun dun dun!

Woohoo! This chapter was a ton of fun to write. Finally, after an agonizing six chapters the passion begins!

Well, that ends my writing marathon as for now, I have to get ready to go to work. (Boooooo)

But, expect another update in the next while.

Cherryblossom hime


	7. A Woman is not an Item

And now that I am off work, I can continue my lazy day and write.

Yes, I loved how I ended the last chapter.

And yes, I did upload many chapters really fast, but reviews don't really make a story. While they can be a nice compliment, I'd rather share my imagination. Not my talent. (If you really consider this a talent at all) I like to say it's a hobby.

So while I was work, it was super slow today and I had time to think about what I was going to write for my next chapter... which I will admit. I have been trying several different ways to continue the story, but I was at a bit of a writer's block.

So hopefully, being at home and on my laptop will help with that.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Naruto

**Chapter Seven: A Woman is not an Item**

Naruto watched as Hinata left his room so she could go get cleaned up. As soon as she shut the door behind her, he let out a sigh and flopped down on his bed. His head was most definitely spinning.

The events that had just transpired kept replaying itself over and over in his head. The words 'I love you' that Hinata had spoken to him earlier kept ringing in his mind.

He could still remember how her lips felt against his, as if the kisses were still fresh. The electricty that had ran though his entire body when his lips first touched hers still coursed excitement through him. He could no longer deny his heart and his body after her confession.

He wanted her; all of her.

But he would hold steady to his words. He promised himself, not until they were married.

Groaning, he let his arm cover his eyes. This wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

Hinata relaxed once she entered her warm bath. Finally, she could sit and think. What had just happened previouslythat evening felt surreal, almost as if it hadn't happen. It was as if some other power took her over as she confessed and passionately displayed her feelings towards Naruto.

She blushed when she thought about her confession, and the sultry way that Naruto said her name before his crashed his lips upon hers.

That was the biggest surprise of all. She most definitely did not expect that out of the blonde haired man. Not only did he start there, he took it further. He kissed her deeply, he touched her skin, and in the end, stopped only to announce that he would not go further with her until they were married.

The implication was there, and Hinata couldn't help but to dwell on it. With that implication came marriage, and intimacy that Hinata didn't dare to think about without her face going red.

Realizing that her water was quickly becoming cooler, Hinata finished up her bath and dried off. The growling in her tummy signified that it was most definitely dinner time.

* * *

She was surprised that when she arrived, Naruto was not already there. He was usually always first, waiting for her to join him. She decided to pace around until he came to join her, but after quite a few minutes passed, she began to panic. Where was he? Immediately she made her way to his room. She had to make sure that he was okay.

When Hinata arrived at Naruto's quarters, she stopped at the door, listening for any sounds. Not hearing anything, she softly grabbed the door handle, pushing his door open as quietly as she could. To her surprise, a figure lay snoring on the bed inside. Hinata sighed. The blonde hair was a dead giveaway.

Naruto had completely fallen asleep. He snored lightly lost deeply in his dreams. Hinata was drawn into his room. She entered quietly, being sure not to wake him as she crept closer to his bed.

He looked so peaceful in his sleep. His face was soft, almost as if a slight smile was upon his mouth. Going against her better judgement, she crawled gently into bed with him looking upon his features until she fell into slumber herself.

* * *

As Naruto awoke, he noticed that he had his arm wrapped around something warm and... curvy?

Startled by his discovery he shot right up from his bed only to see a raven haired woman snoring quietly beside him. His heart was beating furiously from the sudden scare.

And then, confusion settled in. What on earth was going on here? What was Hinata doing in his bed? Panic began to run through his mind as he remembered the evening beforehand. Wait, did they? He thought she left! Maybe he was dreaming?

As he sat their confused, Hinata roused to see his expression lost.

"Naruto-kun." She said, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Naruto looked at her with a startled look.

"H-Hinata? Did we... Did you..." Hinata frowned. It was not like Naruto to be at a lost for words. "What are you doing in my bed?" He finally finished. Hinata could see faint hue of red on the blonde's face.

Hinata went red herself with embarrassment. "I-I..." She began. "Well I came to look for you because you weren't at dinner and... and..." It seemed as if she was struggling with words herself. "I found you here and well... I only meant to lay down for a minute but I um... fell asleep." She confessed. Naruto sighed with relief.

"You are so silly." He said, giving her a half smile. He couldn't help but think that the blush on her face was cute.

"I'm sorry." Hinata apologized. Naruto gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"You better go get cleaned up and ready for the day..." He began. "I'm sure the maids are wondering where you are."

Hinata nodded, while reprimanding herself in her head.

Word about what happened last night night was going to spread like wildfire.

* * *

As the day went on and Hinata roamed the mansion, she was unable to escape the whispers and looks sent her way. Half the time she was blushing after hearing what the maids were saying about her and Naruto.

Bored however, she decided to visit Naruto in his office. Though it was something she had never dared to do before, she kinda already missed him.

Arriving at the door, she gave it a gently knock, hearing Naruto's voice call "Come in."

"Um... Naruto-kun..." She began. Naruto looked pleased to see her.

"I was just about to go look for you actually." He stated as a matter of factly as he motioned Hinata to come in.

"How about you and I go stay with the Uchiha's this evening? Sasuke and I both have business to attend to tomorrow morning." Naruto asked.

"S-sure."Hinata replied. "I will go pack my things." She said, smiling at Naruto before leaving.

* * *

They arrived at the Uchiha estate just in time for dinner. Hinata, assuming that Naruto had already talked to the Uchiha about what had transpired the night before after Hinata ran away, was greeted by an even more giddy Sakura.

"Hinata-chan! See! I told you!" Were the first words that came out of her mouth when she hugged the lavender eyes girl.

Both Susuke and Naruto were already busy talking and left Sakura and Hinata to themselves, as they headed into the estate.

Dinner was happily eaten, but again, the boys paired off, still leaving the women to themselves, not that it bothered them much.

"So tell me Hinata," Sakura began as the two of them wondered the halls. "What exactly happened? Sasuke wouldn't tell me!"

"U-um... well, I told him he was a selfish bastard," Hinata began. Sakura laughed.

"Seriously? Wow, I didn't expect that to come out of you!" she joked.

"But I sorta was angry, and crying and... and..." Hinata continued.

"You confessed?" Sakura asked, finishing Hinata's sentence for you.

"Yeah... and we um... sorta kissed." Hinata softly said going red. The pink haired woman heard every word that she said though.

"Hinata, you can't sorta kiss someone. Either you did, or you didn't." Sakura stated, then paused as if contemplating her next question. "So who kissed who first?"

"N-Naruto-kun..." Hinata trailed off.

"Awe! You guys are so cute! Did it lead anywhere?" Sakura probed.

"N-No!" Hinata squeaked. "He stopped... he said not until..." And again Sakura finished off her sentence for her.

"Until your married!" Sakura said with glee. She hugged Hinata super tight. "Naruto is really going to have a wife after all!"

* * *

"You dragged me out here to go shopping didn't you?" Sasuke said, irritation clearly in his voice. Naruto flinched.

"That easy to figure out huh?" He replied sheepishly.

"Dobe. It's written all over your face." Sasuke stated. "But I guess that's what I get for being your best friend."

Naruto stopped in front of the first jewelry store.

"I just don't want Hinata to know yet." Naruto said, making an excuse.

"I'm pretty sure that after last night, Hinata suspects it." Sasuke replied sarcastically.

"Yeah maybe, but I still want it to be a surprise." Naruto admitted.

"You are such a dweeb." Sasuke replied, making fun of him.

"Hey! If I remember right you were freaking out about Sakura's!" Naruto shot back.

"Let's just get this over with." Sasuke said defeatedly. He wasn't going to get out of this one.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Hinata sighed as she sat herself in the carriage and waved goodbye to her friends.

Naruto sat beside her, taking one of her hands into his. Surprised by this but then calmed, she gave his hand a small reassuring squeeze. The carriage was off.

"Did you have a good time?" Naruto asked casually.

"Yes, I did. I like Sakura-chan a lot." Hinata replied happily. Naruto liked how happy her voice sounded. With his free hand, he felt the small box in his pocket. He silently hoped that the gift he would present her at the right time would make her even happier.

While thinking about that however, Hinata slowly and softly laid her head on Naruto's shoulder and closed her eyes. Naruto responded by kissing her gently on the forehead.

It wasn't long before they arrived back at Uchiha mansion, and as soon as they stepped outside the carriage, a servant came frantically running.

"Uzumaki-sama! An urgent letter! You must read it!" He exclaimed as he quickly handed Naruto the letter, out of breath. Naruto frowned and gently began removing the seal from the letter.

He furrowed his brow even more upon reading it. It was as he expected. Though he had hoped for a better outcome, deep down he knew that it would not end well.

Noticing the expression on Naruto's face, Hinata asked him what was written in the letter.

"Naruto-kun, what's upsetting you? What's written in the letter?" Concern was obvious in her voice. Naruto squeezed the letter before shredding it apart.

"It's about your father not receiving the money that he says I owe him." Naruto growled. Hinata was confused. Why hadn't he received the money?

"W-what do you mean?" She asked. "Was it stolen?" It was a moment before Naruto replied.

"Hinata, come with me, we have to talk. I will explain things to you.

He grabbed her hand and immediately began to walk towards the mansion, past the building, and straight back into the garden. The sun had already set, and the moon was out. He led her straight to the cabana and sat her down.

"Look," Naruto began. "I mean your father no dishonor, but I refuse to pay such a man." Hinata was intent on listening to what he had to say.

"N-no. You haven't offended me. Please, tell me your reasoning." She egged on.

"Hinata, you are beautiful!" Naruto exclaimed. "I can't deny what's in my heart, I already did that once. You deserve so much better than to be treated as some item that can be sold! There is no value for you. I felt so guilty about what I did buying you, and I argued with myself about it for days. In the end, I never sent the money. I figured it might not be necessary because..." He paused for a moment. "I was intending on sending you home anyway back then. But..."

"Naruto I-" Hinata began, but she was cut off by Naruto continuing his attempt at an explanation.

"Hinata..." He said softly. "I love you. You are the only person besides Sasuke and Sakura that doesn't care what curse I carry. And if your words of love yesterday hold true, then I want to treat you the best... no, better than anyone else ever could. I would prove it." He stood up and looked out towards the garden. In the moonlight, he looked so sincere, and so god-like. His words were genuine.

Hinata stood up and took his hands and looked into his eyes. In reply, she softly said: "Then I'll let you prove it.". She leaned up and kissed Naruto softly on the lips. He didn't hesitate one moment to close his eyes and kiss her back. The desire and shocks of pleasure shot through him like wildfire. It wasn't long before he deepened the kiss, pushing Hinata towards one of the solid walls.

Once against the wall, he broke it off.

"Hinata I love you with every fiber of my being." He confessed before resuming kissing her. He could tell that she was just as desperate as he was, just as passionate. She snaked her hands under his shirt and rested them on his chest. Naruto loved the way her hands felt on his skin. He brought his hands up to hold her face as he kissed her.

Hinata could feel the heat of pleasure building within her and her desire for Naruto growing.

Before things got any heavier though, a servant stumbled upon them which caused the two to separate instantly, a little bit startled.

The servant however, was the one who seemed the most disturbed. He quickly bowed.

"Please forgive my intrusion!" He stated apologetically as he bowed. Naruto just chuckled.

"It's okay, continue on." He said nonchalantly. "We were just about to leave anyway." And with that, he wrapped on arm around Hinata's torso and led her back to the mansion.

* * *

Hinata snuggled up in her bed, content. A small smile adorned her face as she remembered everything that Naruto had said to her that night.

It only made her love the man more.

As she began to doze off however, she didn't suspect what would follow.

Suddenly, a cloth covered her mouth and hand restrained her. In absolute shock, Hinata began to thrash and tried to scream as she attempted to throw her captor off her, but to no avail.

With futile attempts, it wasn't long before whatever was on the cloth began to drug her.

Her world slowly went black.

* * *

Yay! Let me just say that this chapter took forever to write! I was definitely having writers block and it sucked.

I hope that the way I wrote it still flowed well with the story however. I rewrote it like four times before I decided to just screw it and go with the flow.

Thank you all those that have reviewed. It was so appreciated!

Cherryblossom hime


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